Japanese RPG Publishers To Watch

E3 always gives a great glimpse into what publishers have in
store for the RPG fan. As I walked the show floor, it was easy to discover
which companies are making the genre its bread and butter. Some are focusing on
big games, while others are bringing over releases we never thought possible.
These are my thoughts on what companies are making an impact on the RPG scene.

Atlus

Atlus has kept on pace with its RPG releases, and just
looking over the variety it's offering in the next couple months, RPG fans have
plenty of games to delight in.

We haven't received a new mainline SMT game since 2004's
Nocturne. So seeing that Shin Megami Tensei IV is only weeks from release is thrilling. Atlus had it at E3 and it's easy to
see why this game is a big deal, as you're recruiting demons and choosing a
future for the world. The series has garnered its hardcore reputation for a
reason, and the classic difficulty should be intact here. Bringing a science fiction flavor into a
fantasy world has done well for Atlus in the past, and it should be exciting to
see how this one unfolds.

Less than a month later, on August 6, Dragon's Crown is available for PS3 and Vita. This action RPG comes from Vanillaware, a
company known for its beautiful art as seen in games like Muramasa: The Demon
Blade and Odin Sphere. Love them or hate
them, the outlandish character models certainly are memorable.

Atlus could depend primarily on SMT and Persona, but it
stepped out by taking a chance on a risky title at the time: Etrian Odyssey.
Old-school RPG fans who remember having to map dungeons took much delight,
while others thought the high difficulty was too overwhelming. Atlus has since
worked on making the series more accessible and trying to find balance between
difficulty and ease of play. Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is a new take on the first entry with many new enhancements. EO has often been
criticized for not having much of a story mode, so this entry fills the void
with fully animated cutscenes and a set party. Classic gamers will be happy to
know that they can play with a fully-customized party as well in the fall.

Xseed Games

Xseed flooded its E3 booth with upcoming RPGs to check out.
The one that caught my eye most was Ys: Memories of Celceta for Vita, a
complete reimagining of Ys IV. It uses some similar systems to Ys Seven, but from
my hands-on time, I found the combat smoother and faster than ever. Rune
Factory 4, Valhalla Knights 3, and Ragnarok Odyssey Ace were also showcased.
While Valhalla Knights 3 is on Vita, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is on both the PS3
and Vita. The game is an update to the original Ragnarok Odyssey with all the
DLC included and a bunch of new additions like dungeons and enemies. Rune
Factory 4 is the first time Xseed has published an entry in the series since
Rune Factory Frontier, which Xseed did a wonderful localization on. Rune
Factory 3 is one of the best in the series, so seeing if Rune Factory 4 can top
it will be interesting. I like a lot of what Xseed has done, focusing on
hardcore games, supporting handhelds, and listening to fan feedback in what to bring
over.

Square Enix

Square Enix finally did it. This E3 was all about bringing
back RPG fans and letting them know that popular franchises haven't been abandoned.
Square was on all cylinders with Final Fantasy. Lightning Returns is looking better than I ever imagined, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is
taking a nostalgic approach to bring back the fans it disappointed,
and the biggest Final Fantasy news was Final Fantasy Versus XIII becoming Final
Fantasy XV.
Some fans weren't happy with the change to an action battle system for a
mainline Final Fantasy title, but I think it's time for a change and that
Square has something different on its hands with XV. Time will tell how it pans
out, but that trailer looks intense and even seeing that the project that was
long in limbo was going somewhere is great news.

We also finally got a confirmation that Kingdom Hearts III
is in development, which made many fans (myself included) jump for joy. Kingdom Hearts III and
Final Fantasy Versus were Square's two biggest teases that felt like they were
going nowhere anytime soon. To see them finally ready to talk about these projects
is a good sign.

That also doesn't even address the fact that Square Enix was
at E3 to show off Kingdom Hearts HD ReMIX 1.5, which I thought was a great
nostalgic trip,
and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. ReMIX provides fans and newcomers the
golden opportunity to play through the first part of the series before we get
the third entry. Hopefully Square Enix also has plans to bring Kingdom Hearts
II and other entries into HD, so fans can get the full experience before
Kingdom Hearts III arrives. I'm happy Square is giving us games to play through
while we wait for these bigger releases. I just wish they went beyond HD
collections and into some new territory while we await them.

Namco Bandai

Namco Bandai is right on track with Tales of Xillia releasing August 6 and exhibited it in their booth. The company is gunning with
the Tales series as they also recently announced Tales Of Symphonia Chronicles,
an HD collection featuring the two Symphonia games. The game wasn't at the
show, being that it won't release until early 2014, but this gives me hope that
Tales of Xillia 2 might also be headed to North American shores. Also on
display, and heavily promoted at E3, was Dark Souls 2, where learning through
failure and overcoming a punishing world is its main attraction. The new
director, while facing early criticism, appears to be putting his all into this
entry.

NIS America

NIS America was on hand to show off the upcoming Time and
Eternity along with Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness. More Disgaea is never a
bad thing, and this one welcomes back favorites Laharl and Etna. Time and
Eternity has you trying to go back in time to avert a disaster on your wedding
day. Who said love is easy? The art style is unique, but the humor may not be
for everyone. NISA has earned a reputation for bringing quirky, niche games to
America, and the company is hardly stopping with its E3 showing. The Guided
Fate Paradox, a rogue-like where you play as a high school character who wins
the lottery and becomes a god, is also on deck. I also chatted with NISA and
plans to bring The Witch and the Hundred Knights (an action RPG from the
Disgaea team) are still in place, but it's looking like we might not see it
until 2014.

We're entering a new generation of hardware soon, so I'm
excited to see what happens with RPGs running on the PS4 and Xbox One. I can
say after walking out of E3, I was filled with excitement for the future;
plenty of games are around the corner, and I can't wait to see how they all
shape up.